


Welcome to the Seekers

by NorthernFox



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Dawn of the Seeker - Freeform, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2017-01-23
Packaged: 2018-09-08 10:36:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8841289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorthernFox/pseuds/NorthernFox
Summary: Cassandra has passed her vigil: she is now a Seeker of Truth. Time to put her skills to the test and begin her new life. The path she has chosen will eventually lead her to becoming the Right Hand of the Divine - but she will discover so much more on the way. She will gain a purpose, a family. But will she keep it?[Bit of a lead up before a re-telling of Dawn of the Seeker]





	1. Fight in the Forest

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, my other story "A Legend has to start somewhere..." didn't feel right to me. So I've scrapped it and started again. I think I tried to do too much at once. Hopefully this is at least partly better.
> 
> Thank you for giving this one a look.

It was far too quiet.

Yes, she was in the middle of the nowhere. Yes, it was nearly nightfall. Yes, the last town she had passed through had been nearly four miles back, but it was still too quiet. The rest of the journey had been accompanied by sounds of the forest: the rustling of leaves, the squeak of wild nugs. Now the entire place felt wrong. The atmosphere had changed. Her senses were heightened: eyes and ears straining, but still she could neither see nor hear anything.

Her horse could clearly sense something was wrong as well. He was starting to get agitated; breathing heavier, stomping his hooves in the dust, throwing his head around. “Easy, calm down. It’s alright.” Cassandra leaned forward in her saddle, rubbing the shoulders and neck of her mount. She heard rustling around her; hidden in the darkness of the forest. Her gloved hands tightened around the leather reins. The resulting sound, normally lost to the wind, seemed to set events into motion.

Fierce war cries decimated the silence and both horse and rider were startled. The horse reared; throwing her to the ground before bolting off down the road. Cassandra grunted as her heavily armoured body hit the solid forest floor. Through the canopy of the trees, she saw the sky had become a deep shade of purple. There was still an orange glow to the West, but the light was fading. Rolling on to her stomach, she brought a gauntleted hand to the back of her head and winced. A small amount of blood coated her fingertips when she brought them back before her eyes.

“Well, well, boys. Looks like we got ourselves a Seeker.” The voice brought Cassandra back to her current situation. She looked at her attackers from her position on the ground. Four armoured men surrounded her – each with a hand on the hilts of their swords – and were steadily moving closer. Three of the men appeared to be of average height and build; the last was a good head taller than the others and built like the trees that surrounded them. All wore the same equipment: full face helms with reinforced plates on the chest, arms, legs and feet. To Cassandra it looked similar to the armour worn by Templars, but these men were not knights of the Order. She could sense no lyrium in the blood of any before her. There was a rustling sound in the darkness. _Could be more of them. Fuck._

Cassandra climbed to her feet. The men surrounding her drew their weapons. “She looks older than the others. You sure she’s new?” They began to circle her like vultures would a dying deer. “Does it matter? She’s still wearing the armour.” She raised her hand and gripped the hilt of the sword strapped to her back. She did not draw it; she needed an opening. “Don’t even think about it, sweetheart.” The largest of the men stepped closer and seemed to study her. She dismissed the rustling in the tree line. _One thing at a time._

The beast of a man - presumably the leader - took a step back.  “She’s new, alright. Her armour doesn’t so much as have a scratch on it – other than the ones her horse just caused.” The other three men chuckled. “Was that your first fight? Against the ground?” He noticed the blood trickling down the back of her neck as he passed behind her. He leaned in close to her ear. “Looks like you lost.” Cassandra turned and pushed him away. She drew her blade. “Now that is a stupid decision.” The leader sighed. “You three: grab her and let’s go. I want to have a chat with our newest willing initiate.” Cassandra growled and dropped into her fighting stance.

Before either party could act, the movement in the tree line intensified and a body fell on to the road. This provided the perfect distraction.

The closest man to Cassandra was on her left flank. She turned to face him, grabbed his shoulder and glided her blade across his throat. Through the slit in his helm, Cassandra saw the terror and surprise in his darkening eyes. He clenched his hands over the wound, trying in vain to stop the bleeding, before crumbling to the ground. The others sprang into action. Turning to her right, Cassandra managed to parry the blow heading for her mid-section. Hearing movement behind her, she stepped to the side. The tip of the leader’s blade embedded itself in to the dirt. The man stumbled and Cassandra capitalised. Using his momentum, she pushed the leader into her initial attacker. Both fell to the ground. Hearing a yell, Cassandra turned to face the third attacker – blocking his attempted strike at her leg. _Take out a leg and then go for the kill. Where’d they learn that?_ She pushed both her attacker and the thought away. As he stumbled, Cassandra managed to catch his forearm with the edge of her blade. He yelped in pain as blood streamed from the gash in his arm.

Whilst she regained her composure – _you must think before you act_ – the leader and his subordinate got back to their feet and surround her once more. _Get rid of the weak one – even this up a bit._ That was enough thinking. Cassandra charged the wounded of the three. Placing all of her weight behind the blow meant that he could not block it properly. Losing grip of his sword was the last mistake this unknown man made. With no weapon to defend himself with, all he could do was watch as Cassandra recovered her stance before plunging her blade through his stomach. He grunted and Cassandra saw a trickle of blood leave the bottom of his helmet. A scream of anger made her turn – the body still impaled on her sword. She placed the dying man in between her and the remaining assailants. Blows intended for her instead hastened their friend’s death.  His body slid to the floor.

She may not be able to see their faces, but Cassandra can feel hatred irradiating off the men before her. She switches her blade over to her left hand before drawing the other sword from her hip. Both men strike at once.

Ducking between the blows, Cassandra managed to run between them and catch the leader in the back of his leg. It may not have been enough to cripple him, but it would slow his movements. _I’ll take any advantage at this point_. The smaller of the two didn’t wait for his friend to recover; he charged. Dropping to one knee, Cassandra blocked his attack and threw his blades to the side. His momentum carried him onto her shoulders. Standing, Cassandra flipped the man on to the ground, leaving him breathless. _Doesn’t feel so good, does it?_ As she raised her sword to deliver the killing blow, Cassandra was forced to turn and parry an attempted strike to her heart. The leader swung for her again. Forced to cross both swords above her head left her defenceless. She heard the man behind her retrieve his weapons. The leader of the bandit snarls and puts more weight on his sword. Cassandra fell to one knee – blades inches from her face. The second attacker is behind her: she can feel it. She stared into the furious eyes in front of her – they would see no fear, only her defiance. She braced for the killing blow. It doesn’t come. Instead, she heard a cry of pain before seeing the body fall to her side.

The leader of her attackers relaxed some of his weight; Cassandra pushed him away. He stumbled back. She runs him through. The blade in her right hand pierces his lung; a gurgle of blood can be heard from inside his helm. He falls further on to her sword. Cassandra raised the weapon in her left hand – slitting his throat. Blood pours down his armour. His unmoving body joins the others on the ground.

“Well that was brilliant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. Thank you to the two people who gave me kudos on my first story - it meant more than you think. Mainly it told me that my lack of writing skills weren't enough to completely destroy your faith in humanity :) So, thank you again


	2. Meeting the Rogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your support - it means a lot, seriously.

 Cassandra turned to confront the voice; adrenaline still coursing through her veins. She relaxed her stance as she studied the figure before her.

The hooded stranger is clearly a man. Loose fitting breeches, fingerless gauntlets and knee-high boots, all of which are as black as the rapidly approaching night, cover the majority of his body. As the forest around them grows darker, the man seems to be disappearing into the shadows before her eyes. His chest is covered by a grey, sleeveless tunic – once again it was of a loose fit, but did very little to hide his well toned upper-half. Cassandra was glad that the flush that undoubtedly covered her cheeks after such a thought would be easily mistaken for the rush of battle. Clearing her head of such foolishness, she once again studied the figure before her, focusing on the main reason she had lowered her weapons. Emblazoned across the centre of his tunic was the All Seeing Eye – the emblem of the Seeker Order.

“Hey” The unknown man gave a slight wave with his left hand. Cassandra remained silent but loosened her grip slightly on the hilt of her swords.

_Weapons._ It was only then that Cassandra really took note of what this man armed himself with. Held in his right hand, and coated in blood, was a carved dagger, the likes of which she had never seen before. Attached to the belt at his waist was an identical blade hanging down the side of his left leg. On the right side of his belt, Cassandra noted a steel ring wrapped in dark string – presumably the place for his currently drawn weapon. She could also make out the hilt of a smaller blade behind him, likely sheathed to the small of his back. Covering part of the emblem on his tunic was a thick leather band and a taught string, both of which led to a full quiver and recurve bow respectively. _This is far too much. That cannot be practical for one of our Order._ Cassandra found herself doubting the man before her; she had never once heard of a rogue being a Seeker. The Order was known for being the finest soldiers Thedas had to offer, not spies or assassins. Her grip grew tight on her swords once more.

The man before her seemed to notice the change. “Easy, now. I’m not going to hurt you. I wouldn’t even try after that display.” He motioned to the bodies littering the ground around them. Removing something from his pocket had Cassandra heightening her guard and taking a small step towards him. The man held his ground and raised his left hand slightly, simply opting to let the piece of cloth fall between his fingers. He wiped his blade clean before sheathing the dagger onto his right side. He then raised both hands to show her he was no longer any immediate danger.

“Who are you?” Cassandra asked sternly. “Remove your hood.”

“Oh, terribly sorry. I forgot about that.” The man revealed his face. “No wonder you’re on edge.” 

“I am not ‘on edge’.” Cassandra retorted.

“Come on, you are a bit.” The man smiled back at her. “My name’s Asheron, though I’ll respond to just about anything thrown my way.” He smirked at the disapproving noise she made. “Probably should have mentioned that earlier. I’m guessing you’re Cassandra.”

Giving only a small nod in response, Cassandra studied the man in front of her. He appeared young, perhaps only a year or two her senior. Short black hair, messed by his hood, stuck out at odd angles on his head and a small fringe fell between his eyes. Light stubble lined a strong jaw and travelled part ways down his neck. The corner of his lips formed a half smile. His eyes managed to captivate Cassandra. A mixture of deep blue and brown swirled in them – they reminded her of the ocean, of waves crashing against rocks. Like the ocean, Cassandra was convinced she could drown in them if she wasn’t careful. She was distracted further when he ran his hand through his hair in an attempt to control it. Pushing his fringe to the side gave Cassandra a better view of his well-toned arms and chest – undoubtedly formed from years of dedicated training. There was no other way to really describe the man: he was incredibly handsome. _Ugh._

“Well, it’s nice to finally meet you. We were expecting you a half hour ago.” Asheron stated. _So he is a Seeker._ He offered her the cloth he had used to clean his blade. Cassandra lowered her weapons and took it from him. “Sorry, I was...delayed.” She placed one of her swords on the ground before cleaning and sheathing the other. Asheron went to take a better look at her attackers. She then repeated the process with her remaining weapon before joining him beside the assumed leader.

“You don’t say.”Asher deadpanned as he studied their armour. Cassandra scowled. “Is that really necessary? I’m already late. It will be bad enough entering the Keep as it is.” Asher simply chuckled in response. Her scowl deepened. “Believe me, you’ll be fine. I’ll explain why you were ‘delayed’ - as you so nonchalantly put it – when we get back.” Asher stood from the body and looked into her eyes. “The worst that’ll happen is the others will be jealous.”

Cassandra was taken aback by that. “Jealous? Why?”

“Because they didn’t get to take down any Promisers themselves.” He began to walk down the road in the direction she had been travelling; the direction of the Seeker Fortress of Orlais. Cassandra followed. “Promisers? You mean those men were – ”

“ – the same bastards that have been trying to destroy our Order for ages? Yep. And you just took down three of them single-handed. Not bad.” She blushed slightly under the praise. “It would have only been two if you hadn’t shown up.” Cassandra replied. “Thank you for that, by the way.”

“Don’t mention it. And seriously, don’t worry; this will make for a great first impression.” Asher sent her a sidelong smirk. Cassandra couldn’t help but return it.

A sudden thought occurred to him. “I forgot to ask, are you alright? I didn’t see them land any hits on you.” He stopped walking and looked once more into her eyes. She found herself unable to tear her gaze away from his. _Is he? He’s worried about me. That’s...new._ “I’m fine; they just took me by surprise.”

“Good.” They continued looking into the depths of each other’s eyes; it seemed impossible for either one to look away. Asher was entranced by the gold streaks that filtered through her brown irises and Cassandra couldn’t help but think she saw the blue of his eyes ebbing and flowing around the brown. She felt a flutter in her stomach as he smiled again at her. It was genuine and care-filled. She was captivated once again by this man. _Stop it._

 Asheron eventually tore his own gaze away and coughed slightly. He started heading in the direction of the Fortress as Cassandra matched his stride beside him. “Um, huh, we’d better get going. Come on, it’s not far. Byron will be waiting at the gate.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long: I had a lot of stuff to sort out. I doubt anyone was actively waiting for an update, but if you were, I'm sorry for the delay. 
> 
> Hope everyone had an amazing holiday, whether you celebrate Christmas or not, and I'm wishing you all the best for the New Year :)


	3. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asheron and Cassandra head home

The journey to the Fortress seemed to take longer than Cassandra had expected. In her mind, she had been ten minutes away at the most prior to her little...distraction. _You did have a horse then. Maker only knows where he’s gotten too._ Night had all but completely set in as they progressed further along the road. The moon lit the path for her and her companion and stars blanketed the darkness above. The noises of the forest had returned, but there was still a noticeable silence hanging over the heads of the two Seekers.

As more time passed, Cassandra found herself lost in her thoughts. She was on her way to her new home, her new life. Even before being ‘encouraged’ to join the Seekers, Cassandra had had little control over her destiny. The delusions of noble life had never appealed to her; the only person that had made it bearable had been gone a long time. She often found herself wondering what Anthony would say, how he would feel, if he could see her now. _Proud. He understood: he knew I could not have stayed there forever. He’d smile, challenge me to a duel, and then lose on purpose._ Her eyes turned to the sky above. _Maker, I miss you._ She lowered her eyes back to the path ahead and blinked away the tears threatening to fall. This was a new start, a chance to take control. For the first time, she was doing something because she believed in it, because she was committed to it, and not because it was ‘the proper thing to do’.  The Seekers were her second chance at life, and she was slightly terrified.

Although she would never admit it, she found herself praying for approval and recognition: approval for who she was and recognition for what she was capable of. She had been over-looked enough in her life, she would not allow the same thing to happen here. Her past lead her to this point, but she would not allow it to define her. No longer is she Cassandra Pentaghast, daughter of Nevarran royalty. Her vigil was her rebirth: she is now, and will be for as long as the Maker allows it, Cassandra Pentaghast, Seeker of Truth.

Asher was miles away – his mind occupied by a number of things. The warrior by his side was equally lost if her silence and general demeanour was anything to go by. Her fighting style had been incredible: aggressive and calculating. She had literally fallen into a life-or-death situation and had emerged victorious. It had been close at the end there, and yes he had gotten involved, but Asher had little doubt she would have found some way to overcome the odds. _Still, better safe than sorry._ As a rogue, he preferred his battles to be won before his enemy even knew they were fighting. An arrow to the throat, a blade to the heart – strike fast, strike hard and leave before anyone’s the wiser. He’d learned from an early age how to blend into the background; it had been necessary. The ‘family’ he was born into had never cared much for him: his parents ignored him, his siblings humiliated him. They made it well known that he was unwanted, even going so far as to neglect telling others about his birth. They would hide him away. Why they had so much hatred towards him remains unknown: he was a child, how much wrong could he have done? _Why you still ask yourself these questions, I will never know. Move on, it happened. You can’t change it. You have an actual family now; don’t ruin it by thinking about them._

They abandoned him to the Chantry on his fifth name-day: it was the kindest thing they ever did for him. He received an education, learned about the Maker and Andraste. The sisters in Ostwick were generous, patient and loving. He still remembers the day they recommended him for the Seekers.

* * *

_“You have incredible potential, Asheron. You can go so far, do so much. You are young, but you’ve been through more than your fair share: the Seeker’s could help take you to places you’ve only ever dreamed.”_

_“There are others who have it worse.”_

_“Your circumstances were still terrible, Asher – don’t for a moment believe you deserved any of what they did to you. Hmm, but I see we taught you well. You’ll do great things with the Order, sweetheart. We’ll all be so proud of you.”_

_“But I want to stay with you, all of you. You’re my family.”_

_“The Seeker’s are a family – the Order has so many more opportunities than Ostwick does. This place is not good for you, and you know that. They will train you, you can be whatever you want to be, but you have to take the first step. I know it’s scary, but trust me. Have I ever let you down before?”_

_“No”_

_“It will be hard; there will be times you don’t feel that you’re good enough. In those moments I want you to remember my words – you are so much more than you have been raised to believe. The Maker is by your side, guiding you to greatness:  you just have to be brave and believe in yourself. Everyone here is supporting you, Asheron, no matter where the winds take you, no matter the trials you face. Please, do this: for us, if you must. We only want what’s best. Will you go?”_

_“Yes”_

* * *

 Asher was brought back from the memory by a howl in the distance. That conversation had been nearly thirteen years ago. He remembers walking into the main hall and being greeted by the Reverend Mother and a man in black armour with a golden eye emblazoned on his chest. He had been chosen, apparently. The man had turned out to be his mentor – Byron. He had taken him from his first real home the next day and within three years he was being prepared to undergo his vigil. Joining the Seeker’s had been the best decision he had ever made: they were his family, his brothers and sisters in arms. Cassandra, too, would realise how much she had gained soon.

He found himself glancing more and more at the young woman next to him. _Cassandra. Nice name – suits her._ Her long black hair, tied in a ponytail, framed her face perfectly. Her cheekbones were high and her jaw strong. She walked with confidence in her stride, matching him step for step. She was undeniably beautiful, but it was her eyes that had captured him. When she had turned to face him after her encounter with the Promisers, he had seen her determination and her courage. As the adrenaline had worn off, recognition of his armour filtered through her dark orbs; then followed doubt, then distrust, then anger, eventually ending with some form of resigned trust. _Complicated lass._ They’d barely spoken a word to each other since starting down the path and the silence was becoming uncomfortable.

 Asher was not one for awkward silences.

“So,” he looked at her from the corner of his eye. “How long have you been a member of our little family?”

Cassandra raised an eyebrow. “That’s your first question? Not where I come from or why I joined?”

“That information is for you to tell me, not for me to ask about.” Asher looked over to her. “Everyone has a reason for joining, a past. We don’t ask each other about it, especially the new ones. When you’re ready, feel free to let us know – until then, that information is considered as private as it gets. No-one will press you for anything personal.” He looked ahead. “Though that does work both ways. Up until the point they trust you; the others might seem a bit...distant. Don’t take it personally.”

“Of course not. I understand.” The path before them stretched on endlessly. “And to answer your question, not all that long. I passed my vigil two years ago. This is my first real deployment, though.”

“Well, nicely done.” The smile that was directed at her was small but meaningful. She found herself returning it.

“Thank you.”

“Ah, I know it was hard work; just giving credit where it’s due. Seriously, congratulations.”

Cassandra looked away from him, embarrassed by the blush that undoubtedly coated her cheeks. “You are too kind.” She looked back to him “I’ll be honest; it’s nice being made to feel so welcome.”

“Well, you should get used to it. The Order may sound all serious and formal, but it really is a big, often dysfunctional, family. You’ll see when we get there: you’ve gained a lot more than some fancy armour.” He turned to face forward once again. “You’ll see just how much more soon: we’re nearly home.”

Towers began to appear just over the horizon. Fire pits blazed and shadows of flags could just barely be seen above them. Cassandra felt her heart beat faster at the sight: the Seeker Fortress was coming into view.

“Excited?” Asher smirked but his gaze stayed fixed on the road ahead.

Cassandra looked over to him, a slight blush returning to her cheeks. “How did you –”

“It’s my ability: I have increased senses. I can see tracks that are days old. I can feel when a mage is about to use their magic, or a Templar their abilities, and I can hear just about everything if I concentrate hard enough. That, unfortunately for you, includes that increased heart-rate of yours.”

“Well, that’s....” flustered, Cassandra simply opted to look in to the depths of the woods. She heard the chuckle and turned to scowl at the rogue.

Seeing her frustration had Asher chuckling again before holding up his hands. _I’ve only known this woman fifteen minutes and I’ve surrendered twice. Maker help me if I get on her bad side._ “I promise I won’t bring it up.”

“Whether or not you bring it up is irrelevant. I know you’re listening.” Her scowl deepened as he lowered his hands and laughed.

“Don’t worry too much about it; I have to really concentrate to hear a heartbeat. Consider this a one-off: I was just curious as to what your reaction would be. Besides, I don’t blame you: it is fairly impressive.”

Cassandra could safely say that was the biggest understatement she had heard in a long time.

The Fortress dominated the road and surrounding area in front of them. Seeker heraldry was scattered across the main keep and battlements: the All-Seeing Eye watching over their approach. Fires burned atop the towers, throwing embers into the dark sky. Banners of the Order stood proud either side of the lowered drawbridge, casting long shadows up the heavily fortified walls. Flags strained against their anchors as the wind began to pick up. There was no doubt: this was a place of devotion and protection. This was the home of the Seekers’ of Orlais.

Cassandra hadn’t realised she had stopped in the middle of the road until Asheron spoke up. “Come on, the weather’s turning.” He was a few paces ahead of her, enough that she jogged to catch up.

“This is amazing.” She laughed slightly to herself.

“Meh, you’ll get used to it eventually.”

“Really?” She glanced over to him.

He smirked and looked straight into her eyes. “Not at all.”

Her responding smile and light in her eyes were definitely something he wanted to see again.

“Where in the name of Sweet Andraste have you two been? I was about to come look for you myself.”  

   


	4. The Fortress

Cassandra stiffened and looked back to the Keep. Asher simply crossed his arms over his chest and smirked at the man before them.

“Well, when you send me off into the night with no actual clue as to who I’m looking for, I tend to take a bit longer than usual.” He shifted his weight to one leg.

“Hm,” The man shook his head and looked to the ground as he walked closer to the pair. He raised his gaze and spoke directly to Asher. “Just what kind of scout are you?” His tone remained mostly neutral, but was laced with humour.

“The best kind.” He nodded in her direction. “Found her didn’t I?”

“Took you long enough.” A small smile broke out as the man stopped directly in front of them and faced Cassandra. “I take it you’re Miss Pentaghast.”

“Yes, sir.” She lifted her chin and stood as straight as possible. The man had a deep and commanding voice; one that told her she was addressing a senior member of the Order. This, combined with the shadows masking his face and the fires behind him accentuating his heavily armoured body, made him appear incredibly intimidating.

Well, to her it did.

To Asher, not so much.

“Come on, Byron. It’s getting cold out.” He turned to face Cassandra. “Besides, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.” He slapped his mentor on the shoulder and started heading across the bridge. 

“He has no sense of authority, does he?” Byron once more turned to face her. “Come on, let’s get inside.” He turned on his heel and followed Asheron inside the Fortress walls. Cassandra followed close behind.

And stopped as soon as she was inside the courtyard.

Her heart hammered in her chest and her breath caught in her lungs. Part of her registered the chuckle nearby, but the majority of her attention was captured by the Fortress in front of her. A huge building of solid stone stretched into the sky, the top only visible as it silhouetted against the moon. It cast a shadow across the majority of the yard, meaning several torches and fire pits were lit. She could hear horses stomping off to the left. Underfoot the ground was solid – stones paved the way to separate areas of the Fort, as well as to the Keep’s main door. Light was streaming out of windows to her right and she could hear the sound of metal striking metal from inside the building.

Closing with a resonating thud, and sealing off the entrance to the world outside the gates, the drawbridge made Cassandra realise that she was finally here. She was in Orlais, standing in the courtyard of a Seeker Fortress. Her official training was complete and this place would be her home for as long as the Order wanted it to be.

“Ahem...” she was once again shaken from her thoughts by Asheron. “I’m still hungry if you want to come get something,” he looked over to Byron “or are you wanting to give her a tour of the grounds now?”

Byron looked between the two Seekers. “Actually, I have to go inform the High Seeker of our newest arrival.” He looked directly to Cassandra. “Which reminds me: why were you so late getting here?”

Cassandra stood tall and told him about the ambush. Although she managed to remain stoic during her report, she had to suppress a smile when she saw Asheron smirking behind their mentor. “That’s when he turned up.” She pointed to Asher. “In all honesty, I doubt I’d be alive if not for him.” Byron looked over to the man behind him and shook his head. “Don’t tell me that, his ego’s big enough as it is.” Asher chuckled and moved to stand beside her. “She’s down playing how awesome she was – although, granted, I was pretty cool as well.” He looked to her and smiled. “Three Promiser’s, Byron. Single-handed.” He returned his gaze to his mentor. “All I did was speed up the other bloke’s death: she would have gotten away even if I hadn’t been there.”  Cassandra blushed slightly under his praise. _I really need to stop doing that._

Byron looked over to her. “That’s high praise coming from him, you know. Usually he’s nothing but critical.”

“That’s because everyone else makes mistakes I could easily turn around on them. Her?” He looked over to her. “No, she’d be a challenge.” He spoke again to Byron. “Still beat her though.” He smirked at the disapproving noise that came from her direction.

Byron looked between them: Asher had smiled more in the past five minutes than in all the time he’d known him. She was rolling her eyes, but at the same time was struggling to keep from laughing herself. They began to bicker between themselves over who would win in a sparring match and he couldn’t keep his own smile from breaking through. Asher was like a son to him, more-so than his previous apprentices, and Cassandra had a fire about her that told him she was going to become something of a daughter.  He intervened before they actually began fighting each other. “Come on now, that’s enough.” Both stopped to look at him; both had smug looks on their faces. “No fights tonight. Like I said, I have to go report to the High Seeker. Asher, take Cassandra to the main hall – get something to eat, then show her to her room, it’s opposite yours.” As he began to walk towards the Keep, he spoke over his shoulder. “Even you should be able to find it. You can give her a proper tour tomorrow.”

Asher shook his head at his mentor. “Yes, Byron.” He looked over to Cassandra, both still smirking. “Come on.”

They began following the path up to the Keep. As they grew closer, Cassandra could see the All-Seeing Eye was engraved in the large wooden doors. The whole place felt dominant and intimidating, but also welcoming; homely even. Asher pushed open the entrance and she followed him through. Once she was inside, he closed the door and waited for her reaction. 

The hall was large. Numerous windows were placed high up the walls, allowing the moonlight to spill over the floor. Several torches were lit, as were two fire pits at the far end of the room and two near the door they had just entered through. Chantry heraldry covered the walls. The room felt warm and comfortable. Three tables stretched the length of the hall and numerous benches provided seating, although the room seemed abandoned at this point.

Asher started walking ahead of her. “Come on, there’s always a stew or something left out.” He led her over to the next room. A medium sized fire was burning and a large pot was sitting slightly above the flames. The smell of food had Cassandra’s stomach rumbling. “Why is this here? Not that I’m not grateful.” Asher smiled. “Some of us, like yours truly, don’t get the luxury of eating at normal times. On occasion there are a couple missions best completed at night as well: this is so we don’t all starve whilst carrying out the Maker’s work.” He smirked and picked up a small wooden bowl.

“This is alright for you, right? I can go see if there’s something else.” Asher asked as he removed the lid and filled the bowl with stew. “This is fine. Thank you.” Cassandra replied. He offered her the meal and she took it. He took another helping for himself and replaced the lid, grabbing two spoons as he walked back into the main area. They sat opposite each other at the nearest table and began to eat.

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Once they were halfway finished, Asher started the conversation again. “So,” he coughed into the back of his hand “you know what my super power is, what’s yours?” Cassandra wiped her mouth. “I can set the lyrium within a person’s blood aflame.” She looked to Asher. His eyes had widened and the spoon was loose between his fingers “...wow.” She chuckled and began eating again. “I suppose it will be useful, given my role. Just as yours no doubt benefits you.” He smiled and finished his meal. “Yeah. I’m not going to lie; I can’t wait to see that.” Cassandra finished eating and looked into his eyes again. “They don’t just combust, you know. I’m not that powerful.”

They both stood and Asher led them up a set of stairs. “No, I didn’t think they did.” He glanced over and saw her raised eyebrow. “Ok, _maybe_ I thought they did. But it still sounds cool when you say it.”

They walked down a long corridor, eventually ending at two doors opposite each other. “There’s a small stair case just behind that wall; it leads to the dungeons. Don’t worry too much about it, we rarely have guests.” Asher smiled and pointed at the door to his left. “This is my room. And this,” he leaned behind her and opened the door to his right “is yours. I know it’s basic, but I’ve no doubt it’ll serve its purpose.”

Cassandra entered her room. It was a good size, considering she was the only one in it. There was a desk on the right wall and a bed along the left. A small window allowed some light in; the rest was provided by a single candle. It was simplistic and as far away from her life back in Nevarra as she could get. She turned to face Asheron. “It’s perfect.” She smiled. He returned it. “Good. Well, I’d best let you get some sleep. Want me to wake you for Morning Prayer? I’ll go with you, then we can go explore for a bit.”

“That sounds wonderful.” She had yet to lose the smile in her eyes. Asher bowed his head slightly. “Alright, see you in the morning, Seeker Cassandra.” He chuckled and started closing the door. “Asher? Thank you, for everything today.”

He smiled yet again. “You’re welcome, Cass. Sleep tight.”


End file.
